Lewis on equality

Lewis has an interesting idea on the notion of equality:

"It is idle to say that men are of equal value. If value is taken in a worldly sense - if we mean that all men are equally useful or beautiful or good or entertaining - then it is nonsense. If it means that all are of equal value as immortal souls, then I think it conceals a dangerous error. The infinite value of each human soul is not a Christian doctrine" (Lewis, The Weight of Glory).

"If there is equality, it is in His love, not in us" (Lewis, The Weight of Glory).

Let that sink in a moment. Lewis is claiming that if there is equality among human beings it is only that God loves us - all other equality is illusory. Not only that, he delights in inequality.

"As democracy becomes more complete in the outer world and opportunities for reverence are successively removed, the refreshment, the cleansing, and invigorating returns to inequality, which the Church offers us, become more and more necessary" (Lewis, ibid).

I'm not really sure what to make of this passage and I probably should read The Weight of Glory in full to give this context. But, I'm becoming increasingly convinced that there is something fundamental in the make-up of the United States that is incredibly at odds with Christianity and we have tried to shoehorn the one into the other. Maybe it's the notion of democracy.